Rocky road to success for Townsville quarry boss

Greg Green was the sort of kid who couldn’t go anywhere without putting a rock or two in his pockets. He tells of being the boy with the sandpit that took four semi-loads to fill, it was so big. And he comes from a family of miners and quarry operators. “I just love rocks,” says Mr Green, who at 27 is senior site executive for CAMM Quarries, the Mendi Group’s growing quarry business in Townsville. Mr Green’s family has a history of involvement in the Emuford battery, in the tinfields in the Cairns hinterland, as far back as 1911. “That was before my time,” he said. “They had the Eumford Tin battery and then we went gold mining at the Palmer River and then got into quarrying (at Mareeba).” This background saw him operating machinery as young as seven and he entered a school-based apprenticeship as a boilermaker in Grade 9. From there he went back into the quarrying industry as a maintenance supervisor/ operator with the CEC Group in Mount Isa before its collapse. Career opening at Holcim A short stint followed at the mines, before Mr Green took a position with Holcim in 2010. He quickly moved up through the ranks from leading hand in the pit operations when he began through to site senior executive during his last three years with Holcim Australia in Townsville. Mr Green left his position with Holcim Australia in January this year to join CAMM Quarries. Locally owned Mendi Group recently expanded their CAMM Quarries operations with the acquisition of a third quarry. Mr Green was particularly attracted by the opportunity to lead the project at the new undeveloped CAMM North site (previously Wild Boar) which Mendi was looking to acquire at the time. CAMM and Mendi Group Managing Director Jeffrey Doyle had told him it was his approach to safety in the quarrying industry that had made him their choice for the role, Mr Green said. Great opportunity with Mendi Group “(The move) has been one of the best things I’ve done,” Mr Green said. His passion for safety was sparked by an incident involving his father (Carl Green) when Greg was only 14. Mr Green's father was struck by two low loader ramps whilst unloading a machine 100km south of Weipa. The right hand side of his body was squashed, sustaining multiple broken bones in his legs, arms and ribs - leaving him in hospital for four months and in a wheelchair for 18 months. "The impact this had on my childhood is a memory I’ll never forget and I don’t wish this upon any family," Mr Green said. Youth has been among the challenges he has faced in his leadership trajectory. Mr Green took on his first supervisory role at Holcim’s Bohle quarry when he was just 20. “That was biggest challenge of my career, getting them to understand that just because I was young didn’t mean I couldn’t do my job,” he said. “I felt like I was bashing my head against the wall, but because I was so passionate about the job I just kept pushing on.” He feels his habit of chipping in with other jobs on site helps earn respect as people soon realise he has a good understanding of their work. Mr Green is based in Townsville with partner Elise and children Mia, Trey and Ivanah. His ultimate career goal is to own his own quarry.

Rocky road to success for Townsville quarry boss

Industry Queensland

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